Originally Posted by
Stagecoach
Hi Kathy,
As someone that takes loads of sunsets/sunrises from subtle as your No 2 to full on into a blazing sun just above the horizon I'll tell you how I tackle things. Not to say this is the best way but one I have found works for me with respect to capturing the best I can in camera, prior to PP.
Firstly, retain ISO as low as you can, it will help if you have to recover shadows.
Secondly, unless you want to spend, and have time available, simply set WB to Daylight.
Thirdly, exposure I base on what I know I can pull back/recover with the RAW file in PP and it is always the red channel that hits the right side of the histogram first so monitor this and the blinkies.
I always allow a certain amount of clipping of the highlights and if I was taking your No 2 shot would allow the yellow area to just clip.
If shooting into a bright sun (although brightness can vary considerably with haze and cloud) I will expose so that the area just around the sun has just clipped (and the sun of course has clipped), this can most easily be confirmed with the blinkies.
As for your two images above, you have done about the best you can in camera.
Grahame